Butler Community College looks to cut $725,500 from budget

Butler Community College is looking at making cuts totaling about $725,500, with about 72 percent of that being in personnel.

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By Julie Clements

Butler County Times Gazette

By Julie Clements

Posted May. 6, 2013 at 12:07 PM

By Julie Clements

Posted May. 6, 2013 at 12:07 PM

El Dorado, Kan.

Butler Community College is looking at making cuts totaling about $725,500, with about 72 percent of that being in personnel.

The college is holding budget forums internally throughout today on the cuts, including disinvesting some departments. One department affected is the marketing department, which is going to a different model.

Carla Fisher, interim president, said they are looking at cutting 2 percent of staff and administration, with .5 percent of that being open positions. They also are moving 1 percent of adjunct from special contracts to regular contracts.

"The college is facing a couple of reductions in funding," Fisher said. "Our enrollment is flattening out, which is typical when we see the economy coming back. That is a reduction in revenue because we have had growth for a long time."

They also are facing a possible 4 percent cut in funding from the state. While the House is saying a 2 percent cut, the Senate wants 4 percent.

No full-time faculty or operational staff will be affected in the cuts.

"For the reorganizations we have strict criteria about how we came to the decisions," Fisher said. "There will be no reduction of services to students or the community. We are pivoting to respond to some things in our environment."

The intent to non-renew letters will go to the Butler Board of Trustees at their May meeting, which will be next Tuesday. They will not take action on them at that time. They will act on them at the following meeting, which will be in June unless they hold a special meeting before then.

"The timing is a little odd because by statute we have to let folks know we are not going to renew contracts by May 15, so we can't wait to know every thing that is in the budget," Fisher said.

They did want to make cuts that offered substantial savings, Fisher said. They didn't want to disrupt things for only a small amount of savings.